Archive for September, 2005

I was reading the news today (online news of course) and came across a pretty impressive system – it’s called “Turning the Pages” which is part of the British Library. What’s really impressive about this web site is the ability to read some original books in a 3d format, that is literally like reading the book. Beware though – you DO need a broadband connection to read any of the books. But, they’ve got things like the original “Alice in Wonderland” including the sketches and not the photos that were later included. They’ve got sketches by Leonardo Da Vinci, originals of Jane Austen, and numerous other works. I’m REALLY impressed by this. They’re using a shockwave plugin to handle the loading, but it really does in some ways act like reading a priceless book. If nothing else, seeing the handwritten pages, well, let me just say WOW. Take a look sometime. And, for another project related to looking at free books, take a look sometime at the Gutenberg project. They’ve got 16000 free ebooks online and growing.

Another “link” or program I had to mention was the new Lego Factory system (well, I assume it’s new). Using “Lego Designer” – a Mac or PC program – you can custom build your own lego systems, and order the parts in a custom kit. Talk about allowing massive amounts of creativity!! I’m literally wowed by the overall possibilities. This means now I could create a kit for all the crazy custom lego ideas I’ve developed in the past This has GOT to be one of the greatest ideas Lego has come up with in a while. I’m shivering in anticipation Kudo’s to the New York Times technology section for pointing it out. You can read the article they’ve got on it, and then download and play with the software yourself – it’s free!

[Edited] Oh, I almost forgot – had to mention one other VERY cool aspect to the Lego Factory thing. The Lego Factory Gallery. You can share designs, look at other people’s designs, and download cool designs people have come up with. Talk about WOW factor. Hmm, now I just want the guy who built the Star Wars Devastator to put his design up here I do have to say – there are some VERY cool designs already up there. Take a look

I had to post a link to a blog post someone wrote on the iPod, and it’s success. “iDevelopers!iDevelopers!iDevelopers as he puts it, is an excellent commentary on one major, and I do mean MAJOR, aspect of why the iPod is so successful. Check out the article, read it, but then let me mention a few other things that I think are critical when talking about the iPod’s success. Some of these are as integral as getting developers on board, but the developer side of things is really major. In other words, read the article. Then, read what I think (continue reading…)